The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)

A woman begins to suspect that her brother is possessed by a voodoo spirit.

Director:

Waris Hussein

Writers:

Matt Robinson (screenplay), Irene Kamp (screenplay) (as Grimes Grice)

Stars:

Shirley MacLaine, Perry King, David Elliott

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shirley MacLaine	...	Norah Benson
Perry King	...	Joel Delaney
David Elliott	...	Peter Benson
Lisa Kohane	...	Carrie Benson
Lovelady Powell	...	Erika
Barbara Trentham	...	Sherry
Miriam Colon	...	Veronica
Edmundo Rivera Álvarez	...	Don Pedro (as Edmundo Rivera Alvarez)
Teodorina Bello	...	Mrs. Perez
Robert Burr	...	Ted Benson
Ernesto Gonzalez	...	Young Man at Seance
Peter Turgeon	...	Detective Brady
William Hawley
Aukie Herger	...	Mr. Perez
Earle Hyman	...	Charles (as Earl Hyman)

Storyline

Norah Benson, an affluent socialite living in the upper east side of New York, seems to be living the perfect life as a divorced mother of two. After her mothers suicide, she becomes a mother figure in the close relationship she has with her younger brother Joel Delany. However, Joel begins to a act very unusually: he tries to attack a man, has to be restrained to a mental asylum, and begins to loose his usual free-spirited kindness in exchange for a turbulent personality. After witnessing the acts of her brother and finally breaking down the shield of her affluence and naivety, Norah seeks the help of a spiritismo who will attempt to exorcise the spirit of a murderer they believe to be possessing Joel. But before they can attempt to help her, Norah's brother quickly turns on her, threatening her own life and the lives of her children.

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Plot Keywords:

tangier morocco | undressing | boy | stripping | nudity | 

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Taglines:

If you believe, no explanation is necessary. If you don't believe, no explanation is possible.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 May 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Obsessão de Joel Delaney

Filming Locations:

154 East 74th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,300,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Haworth Productions, Incorporated Television Company (ITC), Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shirley MacLaine turned down the lead female role in The Exorcist (1973) in order to make this film.

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Connections

Featured in Do What You Love: Class of 1984 (2015)

User Reviews

Demonic Doings in Manhattan

"The Possession of Joel Delaney" (1972) is a story of demonic possession, much on the order of "The Exorcist," but in many ways more believable. A young man, played by Perry King, has his body taken over by the soul of a serial killer. His sister, Shirley McLaine in one of her better performances, tries to find out why his behavior has so drastically changed, and her quest takes her into the Voodoo underground of Manhattan's Spanish Harlem. The plot develops slowly but builds to a powerful, unexpected finish in which McLaine and her two young children are lured to a secluded beach house and threatened by a knife wielding Perry. This includes one of the most shocking scenes involving a minor in American movies. I will not disclose the details of what the actor, ten year old David Elliot, is subjected to but it probably could not be filmed today in our more uptight, politically correct times, at least not with the same directness.

"The Possession of Joel Delaney" is not a better film than "The "Exorcist," but it is well worth watching and does manage to scare us without the use of gimmicks such as pea soup and revolving heads.